Balance staff and wheel for watches



G G BUGBEE Balance Staff andWheel for watches. No. 227,726.

Patented May 18, I880.

ITNBSSES Y W INVEN TOR:

TORNEY S HE NUIIRIS PETERS co. movouma wu provement in Balance Watches,of which the following is a specifica- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE G. BUGBEE, 0F GONZALES, TEXAS.

BALANCE STAFF AND WHEEL FOR WATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,726, dated May 18,1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. BUGBEE, of Gonzales, inthe county ofGonzales and State of Texas; have invented a new and useful Im- Staifand Wheet for tion.

Heretofore balance-staffs for watches have been made in one piece withthe collet rigidly attached to the staff, and the collet formed with acountersunk end for entering the balance-wheel center, the parts beingattached firmly by riveting down the countersunk end of the collet. Withthis construction the work of replacing a broken stafi' with a new oneinvolves considerable labor and risk of injury to the balance-wheel.

The object of my invention is to construct and fit these parts in suchmanner that a broken stafi" may be replaced with little labor andexpense and without risk of injury to the wheel; and my inventionconsists, first, in attaching the collet permanently to thebalance-wheel; and, second, in connecting the stafithereto by a wedge orscrew joint, whereby the staff is rendered adjustable and may be readilyremoved.

The invention will be described more particularly with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is an elevation showing thewheel, collet, and staff separated, in enlarged size. Fig. 2 is across-section of the wheel with the collet attached. Fig. 3 is anelevation of the staff in modified form.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

vais the balance-wheel; b, the collet, and c the staff. The collet b isformed with v the countersunk shouldered portion-1 of a diameter forfitting snugly within the central aperture, 2, of wheel a, and throughthe center, lengthwise of the collet, is drilled or formed a taperinghole.

Application filed October-1G, 1879.

The staff 0 is formed with upper and lower pi vot-shoulders, as usual,and n extto the upper pivot-shoulder is formed tapering, as at 3, of asize to fit the tapering hole of the collet b.

The collet will be connected by inserting its shouldered portion intothe central aperture of the wheel and riveting down the countersunk end,so that the collet will be rigidly held. The staff is attached byinserting its tapering portion 3 into the tapering hole of the colletand wedging it securely to place by a slight tap with a hammer upon ahollow punch placed against the lower pivot-shoulderof the staff. Theparts will be thus firmly attached, and the staff may be readily removedby placing a hollow punch against the upper pivotshoulder and givingit alight tap, thus permitting a new staff to be placed without. the laborOf refitting the collet or risk Of stretching Or otherwise injuring thewheel.

The tapering end of the staff may be formed with a screw-thread, asshown in Fig. 3, to fit a corresponding thread in the tapering hole ofthe collet, and, if desired, a nut may be used with a screw-threadedstaff to connect the parts.

1 do not limit myself to any especial means for holding the staff to thecollet whereby it may be readily removed.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent-- 1. A balance-staff for watches formed .with atapering end, in combination with collet having tapered hole, as shownand described.

2. A balance-wheel for Watches having the collet 1) formed with orattached to it, the collet being formed with a tapering hole forreceiving the staff, substantially as described

